Christopher c



Nrrn rArns CHRISTOPHER C. BRADLEY, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TOCHRISTOPHER C. BRADLEY, JR., OF SAME PLACE.

THlLL-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 627,175, dated June 20,1899.

Application filed January 25, 1897. Serial No. 620,667. (No model.)

T0 all whom, it may concern.:

Be it known that I, CHRISTOPHER C. BRAD- LEY, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Syracuse, in'the county of Onondaga and State of NewYork, have invented new and useful Improvements in rPhill-Couplings, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of thillcouplings in which themovable jaw is secured by a spring locking-bolt, so that the jaw can bereadily released and secured in changing from thills to pole, or viceversa.

The object of my invention is to produce a simple, convenient, andreliable coupling of this character.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a longitudinal vertical sectionof my improved thill-coupling and connecting parts.` Fig. 2 is a frontelevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section in line 3 3, Fig. l.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several figures.

A represents the axle; B, the clip; C, for- Y wardly-projecting jawsformed on the front member of the clip; D, the transverse bolt securedin said jaws, and E the cylindrical washer or bushing, of leather orother suitable material, applied to said bolt. All of these parts may beof any ordinary construction.

D represents the rear portion of a thill or pole iron terminating at itsrear end in a fixed coupling-jaw E2, which is adapted to embrace theupper or rear portion of the bolt and bushing. This iron is secured tothe under side of the thill or pole extension by fastening-bolts d d orother suitable means.

E' represents the movable couplingjaw, which is connected to the rearend of the fixed jaw by a hinge-joint e and extends forwardly fromthehinge-joint and embraces the lower or front portion of the bolt andbushing. The front-end of the movable jaw is provided with a head f,which has a curved or inclined lower face g, and the jaw is soconstructed that a suitable clearance-space is left between its frontend and the front or under side of the thill-iron D when the jaw hasbeen swung against the bolt and bushing.

Gr represents a sliding bolt which is arranged in a longitudinal socketg', formed on the under or front side of the thill-iron D.

This bolt is provided at its rear end with a head h, which has a curvedor inclined upper or rear face t', by which the bolt bears against thecurved or inclined front face of the movable jaw. This bolt is pressedrearwardly by a springj, which is applied to the bolt in its socket andbears with its front and rear ends, respectively, against the head ofthe bolt and the bottom of the socket. This spring holds thelocking-bolt in such engagement with the movable jaw as to lock thelatter in its closed position, and the curved or inclined cont-actfacesof the bolt and jaw are made of such length that the bolt can follow thejaw as the front end of the latter approaches the under side of thethill-iron by wear or compression of the washer or bushing.

The front end of the bolt is provided with a loop K, which serves as ahandle for releasing the bolt and through which a strap can be drawn forconnecting the same with the axle. Upon releasing the bolt the movablejaw is free to swing away from the iiXed jaw on the hinge-joint at therear end of the movable jaw, thereby enabling the jaw to be opened wideand the thill or pole, as the case may be, to be readily removed orapplied.

I claim as my invention- The combination with the thilllbolt, the fixedcoupling jaw and the movable jaw hinged at its rear end to the rear endof the fixed jaw, having the back of its front end, when closed upon thethill-bolt, separated by an open space from the front end of the fixedjaw, and having an inclined locking-face, of a locking-bolt mounted infront of the hinged jaw and having at its rear end an inclinedlocking-face which bears against the lockingface of the hinged jaw, anda spring which presses said bolt rearwardly, thereby exerting a constantpressure against the inclined locking-face of the hingedjaw, pressingthe free end of the latter toward the fixed jaw and taking up the wearautomatically, substantially as set forth.

. Witness my hand this 6th day of January, 1897.

CHRISTOPHER C. BRADLEY. Witnesses:

HOWARD P. DENIsoN, MARY A. FRANKLIN.

